Isabelle Gitlin: "For Tonight" (Feature/Interview)
What inspires your music?
I’d say that life inspires my music, things I’ve experienced, watched, and heard, but also things I know others have experienced and writing from their perspective. Imagination is another huge inspiration, it plays the largest role in the lyrics I write and gives me the freedom to play around, create, and put a story together.
How did you start your professional recording career?
In high school I had put up song covers, but I truly started writing and working on my own material when I was 19. I was recording demos, writing different songs, and eventually did some recording in New York but never released those songs. Since then I have been continuing to write, perform, and learn from the producers and writers I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
How did you come up with your single and/or EP?
I came up with “For Tonight” honestly by just playing around on the piano, I kept coming back to the same melody and would keep adding on to it until I built the song structure. I knew the song itself was a ballad and the first line that came to me was the first line in the chorus (“Won’t you stay the night? We could dance for a while,”) which fit right in melodically. That line jump-started the rest of the lyrical content which just wrote itself from there.
What is your genre of music?
My genre of music is pop with R&B, alternative, and at times country influences. I am very inspired though, by artists that don’t feel confined to a particular genre and who love to explore different sounds.
Who are your influences?
Much like the answer before, I’m hugely influenced by (in my opinion) genre-less artists. A major inspiration to me is Beyonce. She really is queen, I love her artistry, her song structure, and storytelling. Everything she does is intentional and has a purpose within the context of her work which I admire deeply.
I’m also influenced by SZA, I think all of her work is incredible, and ChloexHalle, I love their arrangements and production.
How do you define success?
I define success by being able to do what I love and being able to share the music I love to make. Even if one person enjoys or feels moved by the work I put out, that is a success to me. I can get very caught up in self-doubt and criticism, but truly being able to create projects that mean a lot to me is a win in itself.
What can we expect from you next?
I am currently working on a new project that I plan on releasing within the next couple months. I genuinely love the process of making music and am very excited and passionate about expanding my sound and growing as an artist.
